Dehumidification units employing an adsorbent have been known in the prior art. Referring to FIGS. 35 and 36, there is illustrated, by way of example, a structure of such a conventional dehumidification unit.
The conventional dehumidification unit Z0 is formed by sequentially laminating an adsorption element 31 having a large number of air ventilation passages 35, 35, . . . each supporting on its interior surface an adsorbent, and a cooling element 41 having a large number of air ventilation passages 45, 45, . . . . in a 90-degree plane phase so that the air ventilation passages 35, 35, . . . are approximately orthogonal to the air ventilation passages 45, 45, . . . .
And, in the dehumidification unit Z0, humid air (Aa) which is a stream of air to be processed is passed through the air ventilation passages 35, 35, . . . of each adsorption element 31. On the other hand, cooling air (Ab) is passed through the air ventilation passages 45, 45, . . . of each cooling element 41. On the side of each adsorption element 31, the moisture contained in the humid air is adsorbed by the adsorbent supported on the wall surface of the air ventilation passage 35, and the humid air is changed into a stream of low-humidity air. Meanwhile, heat of adsorption, generated by such moisture adsorption taking place on the side of the adsorption element 31, is liberated by heat-exchange with the cooling air (Ab) flowing through the air ventilation passage 45 of the cooling element 41. Hereby, the adsorption capability of the adsorbent will be maintained at satisfactory levels over a long period of time, and the dehumidification unit Z0 will demonstrate its dehumidification capability at high level.
The conventional dehumidification unit Z0 is made up of the adsorption elements 31 and the cooling elements 41, wherein each adsorption element 31, composed of an air ventilation passage forming member 32 bent in the shape of a corrugated plate and a pair of tabular side-plate members 33, 33 respectively firmly attached to one surface and to the other surface of the air ventilation passage forming member 32, is shaped like a double-sided cardboard. Each of the air ventilation passage forming member 32 and the side-plate members 33, 33 is formed of fiber paper made of ceramic fibers, and supports, on its surface, an adsorbent such as silica gel etcetera.
On the other hand, each cooling element 41, composed of an air ventilation passage forming member 42 bent in the shape of a corrugated plate and a pair of tabular side-plate members 43, 43 respectively firmly attached to one surface and to the other surface of the air ventilation passage forming member 42, is shaped like a double-sided cardboard. Each of the air ventilation passage forming member 42 and the side-plate members 43, 43 is formed from a sheet metal (thin metallic plate) made of aluminum etcetera.